Thank you for the information. The price is certainly appealing, but I am not looking to do a fairly major (considering my skill level of working on fiberglass) repair. I am assuming the mast step is going to be a big stumbling block for an unrestored Laser >40 years old.That boat might be worth $700 if the mast step was dry. I'd be wary of sailing it too much with a leaky mast step.
Bottom end of the repair range is $20-30 in material and a few hours of your time. The top end is a new mast step ($436 at APS) and even more of your time.
It's a main concern, and if not dealt with, likely a lot bigger one after a while. There is lot's of information here about fixing it, if you search the forum.I am assuming the mast step is going to be a big stumbling block for an unrestored Laser >40 years old.
Thank you for the info. I have seen some posts on doing this repair. Is it possible to do without cutting a hole in the deck to gain access to the mast tube area, or is there enough room to work with trying to reinforce via the mast step opening?As you will see in many other posts about mast steps on a Laser, its WAY more work and expense to do the repair of a mast tube that has broken loose than to reinforce a questionable tube. The former almost always results in severe and extensive damage to the deck.
I mention this because even a boat that costs twice what you would pay for the old Laser in question may be a candidate for preventative reinforcement of the mast tube. That's what I did with a 1984 Laser that I had, inspired by photos of boats with failed mast tubes, even though mine showed no signs of impending mast tube failure. The 3 to 4 hours of work and small cost of materials was worth the peace of mind. I've since sold the boat to a young neighbor and I'm happy that I don't have to worry about him returning with a ruined boat.
First sailboat ever that I was in.Anyone have any thoughts on the Snipe?
If you want to sail by yourself, you get a singlehander, and if you want a doublehander, you get a friend to sail it with. Any compromises vary from bad to awful.I realize it is crewed by two, but I think it can be sailed by one person in a non-racing outing.